JudoJeff
Southwick, MA
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Joined: 08/06/2008
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Definitely a mobile home, not a TT. Check mobile home parks and CGs in Pittsfield, etc, Craig's List, etc. They can be found cheap. The idea of one unit, versus two is a good one. Find the right big one, get the large propane tank, electric heaters, wrap the outside, heat tape water lines and dump tanks, and you should be fine. Well pump inside an insulated box with 100w light bulbs don't freeze.
Plan the restoration with the idea of creating livable space ASAP in the house. You'll need heat to get any work done anyway. Wood heat works in the Berkshires, do you have a lot of trees?
Good luck, I'm in Southwick...
K1BE Jeff
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K3WE
Missouri
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Joined: 05/24/2005
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One more thing.
We LOVE camping. That being said, the camper is a little tight for LIVING.
When we CAMP, our focus is being OUTSIDE of the camper. Last year during a job transfer, I lived in our camper for 6 weeks, while the family stayed at the old house. It was a great BACHELOR life. However, the wife just about REFUSED to stay with me, due to it being a bit tight :-) (Yeah, we should have gotten a slide out but that's a whole other thread :-) )
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PapPappy
Wilmington, NC
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Joined: 12/23/2007
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Gotta go with the Mobile Home idea. We bought a used one, with 3 small bedrooms, and a full bath. Something you could all live in for the rebuild. An RV bath is going to be small at best! The larger kitchen and living space will be appreciated too!
As mentioned, you would really suffer during the winter, and the prices for an RV are typically much higher than the mobile home. Save the money for the rebuild...you're gonna need it!! You may be able to lease one for the year, but even if you buy, you can eventually sell, or use it as a shed/workshop late on. Usually, the mobile home dealers will transport the unit to your lot. You won't be moving one of the bigger ones with a pick-up....at least not safely.
I knew a few people who gutted them when they were done living in them....great place to work or store stuff. We had a foundation built for ours, to store stuff under it, while we lived in it....it was on a hill, so we built it with a garage entrance at the end. Probably a waste of money, and I think I'd just build a nice garage for that purpose next time.
Another option might be for you to keep the mobile home for yourself, with the kids moving into the farm house when it's done. If you can leave both structures on the property. You may not be able to share the septic and water though...but it might be worth checking in to what can and can't be done.
As mentioned, check water, sewage (perc. test), and the electric available. Most of those old farm houses are 60A circuits.... you'll want to upgrade to 200A service when you rebuild, and you'll probably need 100A service for the mobile home. You may be able to tie into the existing septic system, which will save you some money. You'll have to check with the local building codes, etc.
Good luck.
DH Bill / DW Claudia / DD Jenn / DS Chris
The Paps! Sophie, Abby, Brandy, Kahlie and Annie 
2000 Winnebago "Minnie" 31C, Ford V-10
Purchased April Fools Day, 2008 
The Pets
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JimInMA
Littleton, MA
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Joined: 07/27/2008
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As others have said, looking into used mobile homes. A park model TT would also work - they're basically just smaller mobile homes. Most don't have any 12v systems and they are designed to be set in place hooked up to utilities and left there (which is pretty much what you are looking at doing!)
The Craigslist ads in MA, NH and VT list quite a few mobile homes and park model trailers that you can pick up fairly cheap. You'd have to pay someone to move them for you of course...
Will you be renting out lots on the farmstead next summer?  I camp in NW MA a few times a year!
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hershey
Albuquerque,(fulltime) NM, USA
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Joined: 06/04/2003
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Unless you plan on keeping the 5th wheel for future camping and vacations, you will lose a lot less money on purchasing a used mobile home and probably be more comfortable in the long run.
hershey - albuquerque, nm
Someday Finally Got Here
My wife does all the driving - I just get to hold the steering wheel.
Expedition - Suzuki Grand Viagra
NASCAR 20 - - 99
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Fishinghat
Western Washington, USA
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Joined: 10/03/2002
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The mobile home over an RV is an excellent suggestion. Even better is the recommendation to have a garage built with a bathroom, since the garage would add value to the property, where the mobile home would eventually have to be sold, possibly at a significant loss. Good luck. JMHO
Holiday Rambler Navigator DP, Mustang Convertible, and Honda VT1100C Shadow.
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bananadanna
Cambridge, MA
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Joined: 11/30/2005
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You might want to stop in at the CountryAire campground near Charlmont MA on Rte 2 and have a talk with some of the campers with permanent trailers and some with largish 5th wheels. Should be similar temps to where you're at.
A few miles west is a traditional mobile home park on River Rd next to the Deerfield River. You could probably get a good sense of comparison by talking to both sets of owners.
Could be a suitable abode for sale in one of those locations. Also possible to stay at the campground or mobile home park and be nearby if your site wasn't ready or if local zoning prevented continuous stays at the farm.
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Matthew_B
The boonies near Dallas, Oregon
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Joined: 08/18/2005
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Yes, it can be done even at those low temps. No, they aren't insulated well and you're going to burn a lot of propane. Consider a 420lb propane tank so you can have propane delivered.
You can get ABS pipe fittings for the bayonet waste connection on the RV. I would plumb hard pipe right up to the RV, and forget about a waste hose.
Put skirting around it to cut the airflow. Put tank heaters on both waste tanks, then put fiberglass insulation around them, including the valves. You always need to let the black tank fill to prevent buildup of waste under the toilet. When it's freezing, let the gray tank fill and then drain. The water won't freeze as it's rushing out. Electric valves might be a good idea so you don't have to regularly go outside and dump them.
Wrap the water line in with foam insulation and heat tape.
Only 6 or 10 gallons of hot water will get old fast. You may want to consider an electric water heater in a small shed or other waterproof cover and plumb in the hot water into the input of the RV water heater. This would give you a lot more hot water.
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backtothelander
MA
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Joined: 08/12/2008
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You guys are great. I see a consensus here. Yes we have enough wood for heat. I'm going to print all your responses out and give them to my son and his wife so we can consider all the advice.
Sheila
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Rick Jay
Greater Springfield area, MA
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Joined: 02/02/2003
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Hi,
My uncle has a lot in Savoy, MA and we've camped there in cooler weather. Late last fall, we spent a weekend up there where it was in the low 30's during the day and flirted with the single digits at night. Our 36' motorhome went through a bit more than 20 lbs. of propane a day and that was with some assist from a 1500 watt electric heater inside. We froze a water line the first night, but kept a small electric heater in that bay the next night and that kept the water in it's liquid state.
Our motorhome does have dual-pane windows, which may help, but it also has 2 slides and those tend to be sources of drafts plus un-insulated extended floor space.
If you have A LOT of propane, you can probably do it, but it will cost you. As I said, plan on at least 20 lbs. per day when it gets cold. Also remember that most units only have a single furnace, and if that quits on you, you'll get COLD FAST!!!
As others have said, I would opt for a mobile home over an RV.
Good Luck,
~Rick
2005 Georgie Boy 3625 DS on a Workhorse W-22 (Class A)
Rick, Gail, 1 girl (12-Angel), 1 girl (7), 2 boys (8 & 5), 1 plump Golden Retriever.
2001 Honda Odyssey with Demco Aluminator tow bar & tow plate, SMI Silent Partner brake controller.
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